Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Coastal Phytoplankton Blooms On Ocean-Atmosphere Thermal Energy Exchange: Evidence From A Two-Way Coupled Numerical Modeling System, Jason K. Jolliff, Travis A. Smith, Charlie N. Barron, Sergio Derada, Stephanie C. Anderson, Richard W. Gould, Robert A. Arnone

Faculty Publications

A set of sensitivity experiments are performed with a two-way coupled and nested ocean-atmosphere forecasting system in order to deconvolve how dense phytoplankton stocks in a coastal embayment may impact thermal energy exchange processes. Monterey Bay simulations parameterizing solar shortwave transparency in the surface ocean as an invariant oligotrophic oceanic water type estimate consistently colder sea surface temperature (SST) than simulations utilizing more realistic, spatially varying shortwave attenuation terms based on satellite estimates of surface algal pigment concentration. These SST differences lead to an similar to 88% increase in the cumulative turbulent thermal energy transfer from the ocean to the …

Gulf Coast Faculty Council Minutes - September 21, 2012, Usm Gulf Coast Faculty Council

Gulf Coast Faculty Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Assimilating Altimetric Data Into A South China Sea Model, Chau-Ron Wu, Ping-Tung Shaw, Shenn-Yu Chao

Faculty Publications

Sea surface heights from the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter are assimilated into a three-dimensional primitive equation model to derive the circulation in the South China Sea. With data assimilation the model resolves not only the basinwide circulation but also a dipole off Vietnam and a low/high feature near the Luzon Strait. Mesoscale features are missing in the simulation without data assimilation because of poor resolution in the wind field and inadequate knowledge of the transport through the Luzon Strait. Compared to the case without data assimilation, data assimilation reduces the root mean square error between the simulated and observed sea surface heights …

Faculty Senate Minutes - December 7, 2012, Usm Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

English Identity In The Writings Of John Milton, Hannah E. Ryan

Honors Theses

John Milton is an essential writer to the English canon. Understanding his life and thought is necessary to understanding his corpus. This thesis will examine Milton’s nationalism in several major and minor poems as well as in some of Milton’s prose. It will argue that Milton’s nationalism is difficult to trace chronologically, but that education is always essential to Milton’s national vision of England.

Summary Of Consultant's Report On University Libraries At Usm, Usm Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Reports

No abstract provided.

The Application Of Evidence-Based Practices By Usm Student Athletes To Manage Exercise-Induced Asthma Symptoms, Meagan N. Ishee

Honors Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if EIA student athletes at USM are being educated about and implementing evidence based practices that help manage asthma symptoms for each individual. EIA is a prevalent disorder affecting collegiate athletes. Non-pharmacological evidence-based practices can be used by EIA athletes to minimize asthma symptoms. Modifications to the athlete’s breathing techniques, diet, and warm-up protocol can be implemented to reduce asthma symptoms. To determine if athletes at USM are using these practices, a survey questioning their education and implementation of these practices was administered to all the USM athletes. Of the 331 …

Determining The Individual, Organizational, And Community Level Outcomes Of A Community Leadership Development Program As Perceived By The Program Alumni, Susan Johnston Bush

Dissertations

The need for community leaders is increasing while the supply of community leaders is decreasing, leaving a gap in community leadership. Community leadership development programs (CLDP) are the most common approach to leadership development, yet the effects of CLDPs are rarely determined. In order to sustain programs that develop potential community leaders, program outcomes at the individual, organizational, and community levels must be identified.

This exploratory, non-experimental quantitative study used Black’s (2006) Leadership Program Outcomes Measure (LPOM) to determine CLDP alumni’s perceptions of the individual, organizational, and community level outcomes associated with participation in the CLDP; to describe the socio-demographic …

Religious Leaders In Crisis: An Analysis Of Image Restoration Strategies And Content Variables, Melody Teracita Fisher

Dissertations

The following study employs content analysis to examine the crisis communication responses and audience reception of religious leaders involved in scandal. Benoit’s Image Repair Strategies and the Contingency Theory are used to determine the strategies, stances and contingent variables of mega-church leaders: Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Eddie Long, Henry Lyons and Jimmy Swaggart; and the Boston Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. News framing theory determined media and audience reception of the religious leaders’ crisis communication responses.

The study concludes that there is little difference in mega-church leaders and the Boston Diocese’s crisis communication responses. Religious leaders’ dominant strategies were …

First Choice For A Second Chance: Factors Supporting Temporary Dropouts Who Re-Enroll In High School, Ralph Costen

Dissertations

The purpose was to identify what factors supported students reengaging in high school by correcting patterns of chronic absenteeism or re-enrolling in order to achieve the status of high school graduate. To identify these factors, the researcher relied on the qualitative approach of Grounded Theory as a guide to evaluate the results of the study. Nineteen students attending a traditional high school, a digital academy, or an adult education program were randomly selected from a pool of selected students who met the criteria for participation in the study. The selected students were interviewed by the researcher with questions focusing on …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Continuous Progress Curriculum On Student Achievement, Jessica Larae Ladner Taylor

Dissertations

There has been an emphasis on educators to improve student achievement, particularly in low socioeconomic schools. The latest research encourages educators to use student data to drive instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine if using data to arrange students by academic performance improves academic achievement. A middle school in Mississippi has implemented Continuous Progress Curriculum to group students based on multiple data points. Throughout the school year, data from tests and assignments are analyzed by teachers and administrators. Based on the data, students are moved to the most appropriate performance level that will address the skills and …

Women's Pathways To The University Presidency: A Qualitative Inquiry Into University Women Leaders' Career Paths And Presidential Aspirations, Celeste Andria Wheat

Dissertations

Although from 2006 to 2011 the percentage of women college and university presidents increased from 23% to 26%, the critical problem remains that women continue to be disproportionately under-represented at the highest levels of university leadership, especially the presidency. Also problematical to women’s advancement, women are less likely to hold the key-line administrative positions (e.g., academic dean, vice president, chief academic officer/provost) that serve as pathways to the presidency.

In response to the dearth of empirical data on the career paths of university women leaders, the purpose of this research, grounded in a postmodern feminist theoretical framework, was to qualitatively …

Wj Julian: His Life And Career With Emphasis On His Tenure As Director Of Bands At The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1961 To 1993, John Tilford Martin

Dissertations

WJ Julian served with distinction as director of bands at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Tennessee Polytechnic Institute during his forty-five-year teaching career. The purpose of this study is to compile a biographical sketch of WJ Julian prior to his appointment as director of bands at the University of Tennessee in 1961, to examine his impact on the Tennessee band program, and to show how both Julian and the Tennessee band program rose to state and national acclaim in the American band movement.

The primary source of information for this study was extensive interviews with Julian himself. Secondary data …

Seeing The Chemistry Around Me – Helping Students Identify The Relevance Of Chemistry To Everyday Life, Tracy Lynn Moore

Dissertations

The study attempted to determine whether the use of a series of reading and response assignments decreased students’ perceptions of chemistry difficulty and enhanced students’ perceptions of the relevance of chemistry in their everyday lives. Informed consent volunteer students enrolled in General Chemistry II at a community college in the southeastern United States during the Spring 2012 semester participated in this study. Students were assigned to read a series of short articles that connect chemistry to a specific aspect of everyday life and then answer a series of questions for each article. Open-response research instruments (initial questionnaire and final questionnaire) …

The Effects Of Direct Training And The Star Problem Solving Model On Teachers' Treatment Integrity And Generalized Use Of An Intervention, Neelima Gutti Duncan

Dissertations

Direct training procedures have been beneficial in increasing teachers’ knowledge and skills for the use of recommended intervention for target students in their classrooms. However, direct training alone has not been successful in teachers’ consistent and sustained use of the intervention for the target student and the generalized use of the intervention to non-target students, novel settings, and problem behaviors is relatively unknown. The present study examined the effects of direct training and a cognitive based problem solving model (the STAR problem solving model) on teachers’ use of specific, labeled praise (SLP) directed to both target and non-target students. Participants …

Werner Jaegerhuber's “Messe Folklorique Haitïenne”: A Conductor's Guide, Lauren Michelle Brandon Lindsey

Dissertations

Werner Jaegerhuber (1900-1953), a composer and leading ethnographer from Haiti, lived a life and career committed to bringing the folk music of Haiti to international recognition. His most significant work, Messe Folklorique Haïtienne, the background leading to its composition, performance of the work and a conductor’s analysis is the focus of this study. The folk music of Haiti consists primarily of Vodou melodies which are performed in Vodou ceremonies. Haiti’s long history of colonization, slavery, chronic economic struggle, African roots, and Catholic influence all play unique, but significant roles in the life of Werner Jaegerhuber and his passionate study. …

Nobody's Boy, Linda Maria Mobley

Dissertations

"Village literature," literature that is written for and about the tribe, or community, has been a long standing tradition among African American writers such as Toni Morrison. These stories follow that tradition in that they are largely reflective of the African American Experience particularly South Alabama during the sixties. The decade that was marked by such violence and bloodshed is reflected here through the stories of a family experiencing it firsthand, yet who are not fully aware that they are living in a historically significant period of history. It is only through the retrospective lens of a child in that …

Quarry Light And Other Stories, Claudia Lois Smith

Dissertations

Quarry Light and Other Stories is a collection of short stories and one novella articulating themes of violence, trauma, and sexuality. The stories in Quarry Light and Other Stories are arranged according the theme, movement, and tonality. Although they can stand alone, the stories are meant to be read interdependently. The collection is accompanied by a critical introduction.

"If It Ain't Broke, Break It": How Corporate Journalism Killed The "Arkansas Gazette", Donna Lampkin Stephens

Dissertations

Ownership is an increasingly critical issue for newspapers as they face the latest threats to the industry’s survival. Local, engaged, enlightened ownership is preferable to that of a distant corporation, but economic realities have decreed that corporate ownership has become the norm. The Arkansas Gazette was one of the most honored newspapers of twentieth-century American journalism under independent local family ownership, having provided brave leadership during the Little Rock Central Crisis, but its wounds from one of the country’s final fierce newspaper wars — against another local owner, Walter Hussman and his Arkansas Democrat — in the 1980s, combined with …

Understanding Corrosion Protection And Failure Through Model Polymers In Thin Films, Joshua Smith Hanna

Dissertations

When developing a model polymeric system to facilitate in the detection of molecular and microscopic events that preface macroscopic corrosive failure; a better understanding of how polymers can indicate corrosion was accomplished. Initially, the thought that molecular chain scission as a necessity for corrosion to occur had to be tested. Through the utilization of high molecular weight thermoplastic (HMWTP) model polymers, it was found that corrosion protection did not correlate to the quantity of weak bonds within an epoxy-amine polymer matrix. Therefore more sensitive methods of detecting corrosion had to be developed since changes within the polymer matrix did not …

Financial Communication In Romantic Relationships, Joy Nichole Smithson

Dissertations

Previous research indicates that financial disagreements are common among romantic couples. However, little theoretical development has been offered to explain such disagreements. This study integrates several areas of research pertinent to financial conflict, and proposes two typologies to explain couples’ recurrent arguments over finances. The first typology concerns financial attitudes that work together to create a financial style. The second typology concerns financial power in the relationship, which is comprised of contribution to household funds, dominance in financial decision-making, and keeping money separate from one’s partner.

Dyadic data was collected from 80 couples to test the typologies. Analyses revealed that …

Real Women? Gender And Race In Prime Time Police Shows, Rondrek Juwayne Cowans

Dissertations

For the past 25 years, reality shows, in particular, police reality shows has figured prominently in American culture as a true representation of police/criminal interactions. This dissertation is a case study that examined the portrayal of African Americans as criminals on the police reality show entitled The Police Women of Cincinnati, Memphis, Dallas, Maricopa County (Phoenix, AZ) and Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, FL). The cities were chosen because they represent the entire five seasons that the series has been on television. This particular police reality show was also chosen due to its mirror image of local and national television newscasts. …

Preschool Curriculum: Choices That Promote Learning, Renee Curet Criddle

Dissertations

Ongoing research has shown that preschool is beneficial not only to early childhood success, but also in providing long-term benefits (Wong, Cook, Barnett, & Jung, 2008). With standards for early childhood being generated at the national level with the announcement of the common core standards nationwide and at the state level through state-mandated early learning guidelines and benchmarks, preschools are turning to specified curriculum content and mandated outcomes for early education programs. Effects of preschool programs vary (Barnett et al., 2008) due to differences in program curriculum and method of delivery. As the knowledge and understanding of how young children …

An Examination Of Mature Interpersonal Relationships Among International And American College Students, Bona Aidoo

Dissertations

Educating students to relate harmoniously with people from different backgrounds has become an important agenda for student affairs professional because of the increasingly diverse nature of the American society. The purpose of this study was to assess how American and international college students develop mature interpersonal relationship skills. All the participants were from a mid-sized comprehensive institution in the Southern United States. The two main constructs measured were tolerance and quality of relationships. Attempts were also made to identify other predictors that may influence mature interpersonal relationships: gender, age, educational level, and academic achievement as measured by GPA. Both quantitative …

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Particulate And Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Absorption In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Ashley Ann Lojek

Master's Theses

Coastal regions influenced by large freshwater inputs exhibit large variability in absorption and associated optical properties. Therefore, understanding coastal ecosystem processes requires intensive, ongoing sampling. Analysis of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River plumes took place on board the RIV Pelican on two separate cruises. MagMix-1 occurred from May 1 to May 8, 2008 and corresponded to the highest discharge periods for both rivers for 2008; MagMix-11 took place October 31 to November 6, 2008 and corresponded to the lowest discharge periods for both rivers for 2008. Samples were collected along four transects in the northern Gulf of Mexico and were …

Profession Of Faith: Congressional Websites And Religious Expression In The 112th Congress, Molly Jaye Mcguffee

Master's Theses

The idea of culture wars in politics suggests that American voters have polarized according to their positions on moral issues, and a religious gap in the electorate also contends that voters are polarized on these issues according to their religious beliefs and practices. Research shows that members of Congress send cues about their faith to their constituents, who in turn use the information to assess their representatives and determine their members' position on these moral issues. To determine how these cues are delivered and who delivers the information, I combed 100 Senators' and 435 Representatives' from the 1121 h Congress …

Marginalization Of Mothers In The Market: A Comparative Study Of The Limits And Opportunities For Public Policy, Jennifer Mary Crosslin

Master's Theses

Despite significant gains of women living in advanced democracies over the last several decades, sex inequality in the market still exists. Women still earn less, work less, and are less likely to be found in top leadership positions in the market, especially mothers, but disparity between men and women in terms of these outcomes varies among many countries. This study explores the relationship between government policies and the market outcomes of women in the United States and other European nations to determine if the different policies explain the variances, and consequently the necessity of state intervention for achieving gender equality. …

A Systematic Literature Review Of Household Food Security And Overweight/Obese Status Among Low-Income Children, Meaghan A. Clark

Honors Theses

A systematic literature review approach was used to determine the extent of knowledge regarding low-income children’s BMI and household food insecurity. Recommendations were made for impending research, studies, and practices regarding the consensus of current knowledge in relation to low-income children with higher BMIs that come from a food insecure household. Current studies were analyzed, with special attention to methods and findings.

A Place Like Home, Tabitha Denae Epperson

Master's Theses

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina changed many things. This storm destroyed buildings, businesses, places of worship, and homes. People lost their lives, possessions, way of life, and for those that survived, their lives now were measured in two eras - pre and post Katrina. Because this natural disaster turned their lives upside down, both in large and small ways, their lives would never be the same. This thesis . documents stories of those that for various reasons chose to stay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina. Twenty-five interviews of residents of Pass Christian explore what exactly is a …

Identifying And Characterizing Non-Coding Rnas In The Dinoflagellate Karenia Brevis, Helen Namataka

Master's Theses

When algal cells proliferate and accumulate in marine and fresh water systems, they form algal blo'oms. The majority of these blooms are beneficial, but a significant number are detrimental and are known as harmful algal blooms (HABs). A number of negative effects, including closing of recreational beaches and economic loss, are observed during HABs. Predictably, the longer a bloom persists, the greater its effects on human, environmental and economic health. Karenia brevis, a mixotrophic dinoflagellate, forms HABs, and blooms caused by this organism have been known to remain several months after formation. For these reasons, research has been conducted to …